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WASHINGTON — Fourteen men have been charged with operating a child-pornography website with
27,000 members and more than 2,000 videos, federal law-enforcement officials announced
yesterday.

The investigation, one of the largest online child-exploitation probes ever launched by U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, found 251 victims in 39 states and five foreign countries.

In most cases, boys were targeted online by the men and tricked into creating sexually explicit
videos of themselves, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.

“Operation Round Table,” the name given to the investigation, started with the June 2013 arrest
of the network’s alleged creator, Jonathan Johnson, 26. According to the statement, he acknowledged
enticing boys by assuming female personas on social networks and pressing other men to follow
suit.

Most victims were males from 13 to 15 years old, officials said. Two victims were 3 years old or
younger.

From June 2012 until June 2013, the child-pornography site operated on Tor, an underground
network that directs Internet traffic through relays to ensure user anonymity.

Authorities say more arrests are likely.

In addition to Johnson, authorities have charged 10 men in Louisiana thought to be largely
responsible for running the scheme and producing pornographic materials. Three men also were
charged in Colorado, New York and Wisconsin.